New York’s ‘Girls Who Code’ to Train Women for Tech Jobs

Reshma Saujani started up ‘Girls Who Code’ after an unsuccessful run for U.S. Congress in 2010, when she was struck by tech inequalities.

By Shira Ovide

A shortage of female workers in science and engineering has long posed an image problem for Silicon Valley. Now a one-time congressional candidate is trying to make a difference, starting with a summer training program in New York City.

A new organization called Girls who Code is starting an eight-week program in July for 20 high-school-age girls, who will learn how to build websites and mobile apps and start their own companies. There will also be workshops on topics such a financial literacy, computer science and robotics. The group said it has financial backing from companies including Google, eBay, General Electric and Twitter.

Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and a former deputy public advocate in New York City, said the seeds for the program were planted during her unsuccessful 2010 run for U.S. Congress, when she was struck by tech inequalities.

She said in her New York Congressional district’s wealthier neighborhoods, such as Manhattan’s Upper East Side, schools would have up-to-date tech equipment and robotics labs, and in less affluent areas, children would have access to “one computer in the basement of a church,” Saujani said.

“Women are going to be left behind,” Saujani said. “Technology has the potential to create income inequity and we need to do something about it.”